Similar species: Rhus x pulvinata is a hybrid between Rhus typhina and Rhus glabra. Its characteristics are intermediate of the two parents and is quite difficult to identify without the fruit. Rhus typhina has very hairy twigs and only red needle-like hairs (2 mm long or longer) on its fruit. Rhus glabra has hairless twigs and only warty to club-like hairs (less than 0.5 mm long) on its fruit. Rhus copallina is also similar, but the leaf stalk is winged between the leaflets. Toxicodendron vernix differs by its white fruit and non-toothed leaves.

Flowering: June to July

Habitat and ecology: This hybrid is probably more common in the Chicago Region than most believe. It is found along railroads, roadsides or other locations where both parents occur.

Occurence in the Chicago region: native

Notes: Some botanists call the hybrids that are mostly hairless R. x borealis and those that are densely hairy R. x pulvinata.

Etymology: Rhus is the Greek name for a species of sumac. Pulvinata means cushion-like.

Author: The Morton Arboretum

From Flora of Indiana (1940) by Charles C. Deam

Barkley discusses the status of this hybrid [under R. × pulvinata] in Amer. Midland Nat. 19:589-599. 1938. He has referred my [Deam] nos. 58424B, 58534A, 58354B, and 58534L to this hybrid. He refers also to it, specimens which I collected in Fulton County and some that Nieuwland collected in St. Joseph County. Doubtless this hybrid is sporadic within the range of the parent species. [Also,] Barkley (Amer. Midland Nat. 19: 598-599. 1938) has tentatively referred my specimens nos. 58424A, 58427, 58544L, 58544M, 58544N to this variety [R. glabra. var. borealis]. These were collected along the roadside about 3 miles northwest of Angola, Steuben County, with Rhus glabra, Rhus typhina and × Rhus pulvinata.